How to look after a cat
by fantaicy
Summary: THREE SHOT. Snow falls and a cat is discovered. Will Gwaine make a 'cool' parent? Probably not...
1. A training session is interrupted

Gwaine wasn't one for subtleness – a well known fact to the other knights. So when it began to snow, naturally, Gwaine was the first to yell with glee and run around yelling 'IT'S SNOWING!' in the middle of a training session. Needless to say Arthur was _not_ impressed. Mainly because Percival joined Gwaine in his excitement and they both began throwing snow at each other.

This lead to Arthur getting a snowball smacked directly on his face – by 'accident' apparently. Now we all know how Arthur wasn't one for fun on the best of days mainly because he had had such a grumpy man for a father so the first thing that happened was Arthur to yell 'YOU IDIOTS.' Then storm off with Merlin laughing behind him only to get pushed over by Arthur seconds later.

With the king out of the way, Gwaine believed it was a golden opportunity to start a full blown "SNOWBALL FIGHT!"

Now you may be wondering how on earth they could begin a snowball fight so quickly but let's just say the snow back then fell quickly and wasn't all mushy like regular British snow nowadays. It's probably better to just go with it.

Many knights ran away for fear of their lives knowing from past experience that when Gwaine and Percival began a snowball fight, no-one was safe. Not even Leon and that says something.

After dramatic deaths from the multiple knights who stayed, Gwaine and Percival were the last ones standing. They celebrated with a very childish 'WE DID IT!' Yes. The two noblest knights in the kingdom were never known for their maturity around snow. They even had a victory dance, "WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT, YEAH!" This finished with a high five as they jumped in the air dramatically.

After this, most of the 'dead' knights laughed at their antics and went home. But not Gwaine and Percival! Oh no, there was plenty more fun to do with the snow!

They made snow animals which included a dragon, a cat and Gwaine's favourite, a squirrel. Something about how it once attacked Arthur and it had made his day. They tried to make snow angels but it was still snowing so they just ended up getting covered in snow.

They probably did everything possible and it was past midnight when they finally rested by making snow castles of Camelot.

Nearby a soft mewing sound was heard. "Hey, Perce, did you hear that?" Gwaine asked halfway through trying to make his part of the castle.

"Hear what?"

"Mew..."

"That!" Gwaine frowned and stood up.

"I HEAR IT! OH NO! A CAT IS STUCK UNDER THE SNOW!"

"WE NEED TO SAVE IT!"

The two knights began a long and perilous journey (it took a minute) to find the kitten who was sitting in a small alleyway covered in snow and shaking. Since Gwaine found the kitten, he quickly picked it up and began cooing to it like a little baby.

"It's okay! Daddy's got you!"

"And me!" Percival protested.

"Fine, _we've_ got you!" Gwaine continued to coo.

The kitten simply stared up at the two faces that were currently grinning down on him.

"WE NEED A NAME!" Percival suddenly demanded.

Gwaine widened his eyes, "OF COURSE! ... How about Mr. Cuddles?"

"I prefer Snuggles."

The knights aren't good at naming animals. Their horses were called Barnaby and Stella.

"How about... Mr. Snuggles?" Gwaine suggested.

"Perfect! Mr. Snuggles, I'm Percival, the _cool_ dad. This is Gwaine the not so cool dad!"

Gwaine frowned. "It's the other way wrong actually, Mr. Snuggles. Excuse Percival, he's not right in the head."

"I'm perfectly sane!"

"Of course." Gwaine snorted.

"At least I'm a strong independent knight who doesn't need a candle on to get to sleep because he's afraid of the dark!" Percival argued.

"Yeah! Well... At least I actually have _sleeves_ on my armours!"

"Only because your arms aren't as muscled as mine!"

"AS IF! I AM THE MOST HANDSOME IN THE ENTIRE KINGDOM."

The cat meowed again interrupting the quickly escalating argument.

The men stared quietly down at the kitten which began to play with Gwaine's Armour which he had neglected to take off since the snow had begun to fall.

"Gwaine?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we going to look after Mr. Snuggles?"

"In secret."

And that's exactly what they did. With a kitten in Gwaine's armour hood and Percival with an arm over Gwaine's shoulder, they managed to get to Gwaine's room without any suspicion as they just suspected they were drunk. Which they were also pretending to be too but that isn't important.

Gwaine placed the kitten onto his bed while Percival locked the door.

"He's so cute!" Percival exclaimed as he kneeled by the bed to watch the kitten.

"I know!" In the years to come after this story, the knights would never admit to be ashamed of their behaviour.

Percival sighed contently and rested his face on his hands. "What do we do now?"

"Um..." Gwaine hadn't thought about that. "We should probably feed it. Okay, I'll be right back with some milk. Cats like milk right?"

Percival nodded and began to stroke Mr. Snuggles who purred contently.

Gwaine left and quickly found the kitchens where a few servants were still walking around.

"Excuse me?" Gwaine asked a passing lady. The lady turned around, her eyes widening. Gwaine flashed his signature grin he gave every woman that always guaranteed him to get his way.

"Yes, sir Gwaine?"

"I have a huge craving for milk right now and I was hoping there was some around?" Gwaine made an effort to look around the kitchen hopefully.

"Of course! I will be right back!" She disappeared for literally 5 seconds before she came back with a glass of milk.

"Ah..." Gwaine suddenly realised that a cat does not simply drink a glass of milk. "Do you have a err... saucer as well?"

The women raised an eyebrow but didn't question him as she gave him a saucer knowing that Gwaine's actions should never be questioned. He had once asked the same maid to get him a stick with string and a hook on it.

"Thank you!" Gwaine practically skipped out of the kitchen in his hurry to get back.

"GOT THE MILK!" Gwaine cheered as he got back to his room only to see that Percival was throwing the kitty up into the air and catching it again. Gwaine gasped, "PUT. MR. SNUGGLES. DOWN."

"He likes it..." Percival pouted but put the bewildered kitten back down on the bed where it immediately meowed in shock of being put back on safe ground again. You have to feel sorry for the kitten, as soon as Gwaine had left the room; Percival had begun doing this so the kitten was just a little disorientated.

"Is everything ok in-" Leon knocked and entered the room only to stop in shock then raise an eyebrow. "A kitten? Really? You two would make the worst carers to this cat!"

Percival and Gwaine gasped. "Don't listen to them Mr. Snuggles! He doesn't understand our love!"

The cat simply meowed back. In protest or agreement, no one ever knew.

Leon dragged a hand over his face and stared at the cat. "You know what? I don't want anything to do with this. I'm leaving." And true to his words, he left.

Gwaine chuckled, "Someone isn't a cat lover..."

"Mr. Snuggles doesn't need to have Leon in his life." Percival stated.

"You're right! He has us instead! And the cooler dad just brought you milk!" Gwaine poured some milk into the saucer on the floor then picked up the kitten and placed him on the floor.

Except instead of drinking the milk, the kitten ran straight out of the open door which Leon had neglected to shut and out of sight.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Was Percival and Gwaine's simultaneous reactions as they both ran out the door to see where he went.

"Where'd he go?" Percival asked scratching his head.

"NO IDEA!" Gwaine yelled exasperated. "WE'RE TERRIBLE PARENTS!"

"I'll go this way, you go that way!" Percival then proceeded to run off in the direction of the kitchens.

Gwaine then began to speed walk through the castle but Gwaine couldn't see a single sign of the kitten. It wasn't till he passed Arthur's slightly open door that he realised it was too good to be true.

"ARGH!" Was heard from inside and Gwaine rushed inside to see Mr. Snuggles currently sitting on Arthur's face; the kitten had his claws on his face at the shock that his comfortable cushion made a sound.

Gwaine seized Mr. Snuggles from Arthur's face. "MR. SNUGGLES. THAT IS NOT HOW WE TAUGHT YOU TO TREAT PEOPLE."

Arthur just stared.

He soon came to his senses after watching Gwaine go on and on about responsibility to this supposed 'Mr. Snuggles' and shouted "GET OUT. AND TAKE THAT BLASTED CAT WITH YOU." Arthur isn't one for getting woken up by claws but I guess no-one is are they?

Gwaine simply 'Tsked' and walked out cuddling the kitten to his chest.

"Why did I ever give him responsibility?" Arthur mumbled to himself before falling straight back to sleep.

As Gwaine was walking down the corridor, an exhausted and upset Percival ran past him, stopped, turned around and squealed with glee. It's amazing how such a knight is respected.

"I FOUND HIM!" Gwaine cheered as he ran over and gave him to Percival who hugged him a bit too hard for comfort to which Gwaine had to take him back in fear of having a squashed kitten on their hands.

As the two knights fussed over the kitten, it didn't occur to them how much of a family they must have looked to the unsuspecting eye. Not that it looked liked that... no, of course not...

**I think I'll continue this one to make a two-shot... it seems like more can happen, don't you think? **


	2. The next day

Mr. Snuggles slept in Gwaine's room with him while Percival begrudgingly left only to come back a few hours later to see him again.

"GOOOOOD MORNING!" Percival sang as he slammed open the door.

"WHAT!? WHO'S THAT?" Gwaine yelled disorientated making Mr. Snuggles fall from Gwaine's head (a lovely makeshift fluffy pillow) and onto the bed. He meowed in protest at this. Percival walked over and swooped the cat into his arms and grinned.

"HEY!" Gwaine protested as he remembered what had happened last night and what was currently happening. The less cooler dad was holding Mr. Snuggles.

"We're going to introduce you to Elyan today!"

"We are?" Gwaine asked getting out of bed.

"Of course! If Leon doesn't want to get involved, doesn't mean Elyan can't!" Percival ran out of the room before Gwaine could protest. He quickly found some fresh clothes and ran out of the door still trying to put on a sock. "PERCIVAL."

The knight in question popped his head out of a door further down, "Yes?" He grinned.

"YOU COULD'VE WAITED FOR ME."

"You were still in bed..." Percival trailed off before going back into Elyan's room.

Gwaine ran into the room to see Percival trying to get Elyan hold the unimpressed cat.

"Percival. It is _just_ a cat."

"BUT MR. SNUGGLES IS AMAZING."

"GWAINE." Elyan yelled hoping Gwaine would get this guy to stop shoving an angry cat in his face.

"Percival?!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"Gwaine!" Percival grinned.

"Percival!" Gwaine glared.

"Gwaine!"

"ELYAN!"

Silence.

"Good now can you please leave and take that grumpy cat away from me." Elyan continued as he pushed the knights out of his room and slammed the door.

"Why does no-one like Mr. Snuggles?" Gwaine wondered aloud.

"I guess Camelot is a dog town." Percival sighed. His eyes lit up suddenly, "GWEN LIKES CATS RIGHT!"

"NO SHE DOESN'T!" was heard from the other side of the door from Elyan.

"Shush you cat hater! Right. LET'S FIND GWEN!" Percival exclaimed and, still holding the cat, ran off further into the castle.

"IT'S MY TURN TO HOLD HIM." Gwaine yelled, running after.

"He's so cute!" Gwen cooed cuddling Mr. Snuggles.

"Elyan said you hated cats!" Percival said smugly.

"He did have a bad experience with one once, so I pretended to hate them with him."

"STOP... RUNNING... EVERYWHERE..." Gwaine had finally reached the destination out of breath. Turns out he didn't do much exercise anymore.

"But it was a matter of great importance!" Percival pouted.

"Oh was it really." Gwaine glared.

"Guys? Have you fed this cat recently? He looks a bit too thin..." Gwen stared at the cat with huge concerned eyes that only a female could give to such a cute cat.

"GWAINE THAT WAS YOUR JOB."

"I GOT THE MILK LAST TIME."

"HE WAS IN YOUR ROOM."

"IF YOU WANT TO BE THE COOLER DAD, YOU NEED TO GET THE MILK."

"JUST ADMIT I'M THE COOLER DAD."

Gwen sighed. "How about you _both_ get the milk and I'll wait here and give the cat some string to play with?"

"...fine." Gwaine relented.

"Ok, Gwen..." Percival sighed. "Let's go, Gwaine! Mr. Snuggles needs us!"

They eventually came back with a bowl of milk and a cooked chicken leg. "Do cats like this stuff?" Gwaine wondered aloud for the fifth time since they had got the food.

"Of course they do. Why is he called Mr. Snuggles?" Gwen replied while turning around in a chair whilst stroking him.

"Woah..." Percival said slightly unnerved.

"What?"

"Kinda creepy don't you think?"

"Is it?"

"I agree." Gwaine said trying to figure out how holding a cat could still be scary.

"Sorry," Gwen placed the cat back on the ground for the knights to feed, "I have some business to get to. Mainly make sure that Arthur doesn't completely neglect his own plans. Bye Mr. Snuggles!" Then Gwen left leaving Gwaine and Percival in her room.

"It feels wrong to be in her room when she isn't here." Gwaine mused as he placed the milk on the floor with the chicken. Naturally the kitten went straight to the chicken.

"Gwen I- WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING IN HER ROOM?!" Gwaine and Percival jumped then immediately went to stand in front of Mr. Snuggles.

"Nothing?" Gwaine said unconvincingly.

"Where's Gwen!?"

"Went looking for you, princess." Gwaine grinned, happy to get off the topic of why they were in Gwen's room.

"... Is that a cat?"

"No..." Percival whistled.

"Yes it is. It attacked my face last night." Arthur ventured into the room.

"Sure you weren't dreaming, Princess?"

"STOP CALLING ME PRINCESS. I KNOW WHAT I SAW."

"Temper, Princess..." Gwaine grinned. Teasing Arthur was a favourite pastime of his.

"Just get that blasted cat out of this room and out of my sight."

"Why don't you like cats, Arthur?" Percival asked as he picked up the happily eating cat sadly. Mr. Snuggles was not impressed to say the least. Finally getting some food and BAM! Taken away from him again.

"I just don't!"

"We'll get you to like cats, Arthur. Soon..." Gwaine left the room with Percival while Arthur just rolled his eyes.

"YOU LEFT THE MILK."

Gwaine quickly walked back in and took the milk. "SOON, PRINCESS. SOON." He proceeded to slam the door in Arthur's face.

That soon never came.

The rest of the day was spent introducing Mr. Snuggles to various people around the castle. Turns out Arthur, Leon and Elyan are the only cat haters in Camelot.

Typical.

**This was reaching a three-shot position I had to stop it... rubbishly . ALAS. GWAINE'S STORY HAS BEEN COMPLETED.**

**~Fantaicy**


	3. Merlin and Ale

**So my friend insisted I include Merlin in this story and I said I wouldn't till a review pointed it out... looks like you got your wish Ruby :P **

**Oh and to the reviewer in question: Thank you :3 I wish I had a cat like that!**

"MERLIN!" Gwaine yelled, seeing the servant in the stables. "I hoped I would find you here!"

"MEET MR. SNUGGLES!" Percival yelled running in holding up the cat in a worship position in a way that the light him in an ironically holy way.

"... A cat?" Merlin paused momentarily from sweeping up the stables to take in the peculiar scene before him.

"Not just any cat!" Gwaine grinned, "The noblest cat in the whole of Camelot!"

"Right..." Merlin trailed off rolling his eyes before continuing to sweep the stables shaking his head.

"Don't you like him?" Percival pouted.

"He's very noble!" Gwaine grabbed the cat and held in front of Merlin's face. "See? We made him a little scarf!"

It was true. The poor cat had not only been introduced to every citizen, servant and visitor of Camelot, he had also been made to wear a purple neckerchief.

"That's like my scarf..." Merlin mused.

The knights ignored his comment, "Made it all by ourselves!" Gwaine puffed out his chest proudly as he retracted the cat from Merlin's face.

"With the help of Gwen of course, she loves him too, see!" Percival added, causing a glare from Gwaine.

Merlin was amazed the King had let them roam about the castle in this way but I guess you can't stop these two when they dedicate themselves to something.

"So... when did you decide to look after a cat?" Merlin asked interrupting their bickering about who made the neckerchief.

"Last night!"

"_Last night?!_ It was _snowing _last night!" There was still a lot of snow on the ground.

"Exactly! We couldn't leave the poor guy out in the cold!"

"Besides, it was fate he was discovered by the two most awesome knights Camelot has ever seen!" Percival took his turn to puff out his chest proudly.

"Have you been looking after him properly?"

The knights gasped. "Of course!"

"Why would you think such a thing?"

"No reason?" Merlin quickly covered up his concern; the poor kitten looked strong enough to handle it.

"Well, we must be off, one last stop for Mr. Snuggles!" Percival shared a mischievous look with Gwaine.

"TO THE INN!" They yelled simultaneously and they ran out. Merlin heard a startled meow as they ran away and Merlin chuckled to himself.

"Do you think he'll like ale?" Percival peered curiously at the kitten as they placed him on a table inside the inn and ordered two ale's.

"If he's one of us, he will!" Gwaine grinned confidently as the ale's were handed to them.

A few customers had cast a curious eye their way since they had entered the inn but again, it was no secret that whenever a noble knight is involved, it is best to just watch and not ask questions.

"Alright, Mr. Snuggles, time to taste heaven!" Gwaine grinned as he poured some into the saucer he had begun to carry around so he didn't have to keep asking a servant in the kitchens for one.

The knights tilted their heads simultaneously to watch the kitten as he crept over to the saucer and took a tentative lick of the substance within. Whatever it was, the kitten liked it so began to drink more.

"YES. HE IS ONE OF US!" Gwaine cheered as he hugged Percival in the manly- actually, they were hugging each other much like women nowadays do – in celebration.

The kitten blissfully drank till the end and then walked around clumsily before collapsing onto Gwaine's lap.

"I do believe he is experiencing his first night out quite well." Gwaine observed as he stroked the cat.

"Drinking contest, Gwaine?" Percival asked.

"HELL YEAH!" The knights thankfully didn't pass out in the inn or forget to bring a sleeping Mr. Snuggles with them back to Gwaine's chambers where they all fell asleep on each other.

"Gwaine have you seen my-" Leon opened the door, took in the scene before him and just left muttering about how cats shouldn't be allowed near the two most irresponsible knights in the kingdom.

**NO CATS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS ONE SHOT!**

**Ok, finished, I promise. HOPE YOU LIKED IT :D**

**~ fantaicy**


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